Why Doesn't the Bible Feel Relevant Anymore?

We’ve all had those moments.

You’re reading through the Bible, and nothing is clicking. Nothing is making sense. The stuff that does make sense doesn’t feel like it relates to you at all. Perhaps you’ve been told all your life as a Christian to read the Bible every day, because the Bible is your fuel. But today, on your second pass through Isaiah’s oracle concerning Moab… it just seems like a waste of time.

So why doesn’t the Bible feel relevant anymore?

What if the problem is that we’ve been told to read the Bible but never really learned how to read it, or what it’s even for? Instead, we assume the Bible is meant to fulfill some special purpose of our own whim, and when the Bible doesn’t meet that purpose, we figure that Scripture just isn’t relevant. What if we’ve approached the Bible with the wrong expectations?

Why does reading the Bible feel dry?

The short answer: Bible reading often feels dry when we come to it with the wrong expectations, using it for trivia, rules, or self-help. Its purpose is engagement with the living God, who speaks through his Word. Reading it prayerfully, and bringing our honest reactions to God, keeps that purpose at the center.

When the Bible’s relevance runs dry

When we come to the Bible with the wrong expectations, we may find it “works” for us for a good while. That’s why we don’t just ask why the Bible feels irrelevant. We ask why the Bible doesn’t feel relevant anymore. Consider the following:

• If you think the purpose of the Bible is to learn its stories and succeed at Bible trivia, then what happens after you’ve learned it all?
• If you think the purpose of the Bible is to become a moral person by following all of its rules, then what happens once you’ve become really good at being good?
• If you think the purpose of the Bible is to feel better about yourself, then what happens when your therapy sessions have fulfilled their purpose?
• If you think the purpose of the Bible is to be entertained, pass the time, manage your stress, or figure out how to deal with your annoying roommate who never cleans the microwave, then what happens when the mission is accomplished?

What happens is that the artificial relevancy you’ve ascribed to the Bible runs dry. And even if you haven’t reached the “end of the line,” what happens when you come across something else which seems to do a better job at meeting your needs?

Don’t misunderstand me: The Bible is a wonderful tool for learning the stories of Israel, helping us live moral and fulfilled lives, etc. But so far, this article hasn’t mentioned the word “God” yet, and that’s a problem.

What is the purpose of the Bible?

The purpose of the Bible is engagement with the living God of this universe. The same God who spoke the universe into existence has spoken through his Word. Reading Scripture, we are not just gaining factual information, moral information, or good self-help advice.

To behold the value of Scripture is to realize that you are engaging with a God who has made himself present to us through words, and these words you encounter are the exact same stuff that brought forth time, space, planets, and 200 billion trillion stars into existence. That voice will never run dry.

This is why understanding the Bible with good methods of interpretation is so important. We are seeking after God’s voice, not our own. Our aim is to know and understand what God is saying, so we can hear him and respond to his voice.

How to read the Bible prayerfully

But understanding and applying the Bible is not the full picture. Even non-Christians can practice methods of interpretation and apply the Bible to their lives to some extent. But as Christians, how do we read the Bible as Scripture? The short and simple answer is prayer. Prayer is the way we engage with God in general. The Bible, along with all the other spiritual practices, is meant to draw us near to God through prayer.

Praying Scripture

This may look like praying Scripture. We may read the Psalms, Lamentations, or other passages as guided prayers to God. Other passages may not be meant as prayers, but they are still meant to bring us into prayer.

Bring your reactions to God

As we invite the Spirit and engage with God’s Word, certain responses and reactions will bubble up as we read and seek understanding. Maybe we feel amazed at God. So praise him! Maybe we feel confused at some weird passage that doesn’t make sense. So ask him! Maybe we feel disturbed at God killing Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10. So tell him! Tell him why you’re bothered about it!

Open your ears to how God might respond. This is what honest prayer looks like. It’s the abiding that Jesus spoke about in John 15.

Since we were made to be in relationship with God, abiding with God through Scripture couldn’t be any more relevant. Some days will still feel dry. Some days will still feel irrelevant. But no day spent with God is a day wasted.

No day spent with God is a day wasted.

Time for a reset

Perhaps it’s time for a reset. The Bible is a lot of things, and it can do a lot of things. But if we don’t keep God as the centerpiece, then all the other expectations we put on Scripture will fall flat. Sooner or later, the Bible will feel irrelevant.

You took the time to read this article. Now, try reading a passage of Scripture prayerfully. Don’t come to it with any expectations, not even the expectation that you will feel God, but come in faith that God is close and that he hears your prayers and his Word does not return empty (Isaiah 55:11).

If you wish to go deeper, then I encourage you to work through a free course we offer on Sightline U called Unlocking Scripture. In that course, Jen Davis and I explain how to read, study, understand, apply, and be transformed by the Bible. We’ve all had those moments.